Dexter Fields leads the way for UAB in his return to Orlando

Dexter Fields said playing defense is his first objective when he comes off the bench for UAB. Shooting the 3-pointer is next in line.

It sure doesn’t seem that way.

On Wednesday, with chance to move up in the Conference USA standings, it was four 3-pointers from the freshman from Orlando that sparked UAB to the 53-49 win against UCF.

The Blazers needed all that production to hold off a pesky UCF team that climbed back from a 13-point first half deficit.

:”He was huge,” said UAB point guard Aaron Johnson. “For the second straight game, he came off the bench and made some shots. We know he can make some shots. We know he a shooter and he’s going to keep shooting. That’s what we want him to do.”

Fields has 21 points in the past two games after spending most of C-USA play on the bench.

“The ones he makes you think he’s going to miss them,” said UAB head coach Mike Davis. “The ones he misses you think he’s going to make them. It’s the darnedest thing I’ve ever seen. He takes some and you think ‘There’s no way that ball is going to go in.”

UAB (22-5, 10-3) moved into a second-place tie with Memphis, which lost at Houston on Wednesday. Both teams trail UTEP by two games with three games left to play.